Can Dogs eat Potatoes or Sweet Potatoes? Are Potatoes safe for dogs? (…Yes)

Potatoes are often called “second bread”. To be honest, this product is the most popular in almost every home. Therefore, even those owners who strictly monitor the diet of their pets have incidents – either the dog grabs a piece of boiled potatoes from the table, or the owner himself treats their dog with a spoonful of mashed potatoes without questioning whether it is possible to give the dog potatoes.

Potatoes are safe for dogs to eat. Potatoes cause no instant damage to dogs. But eating too much potatoes can cause damage in the long term.

Disadvantages of Including Potatoes in Dog’s diet:

Experts are sure that there is no need to include potatoes in the diet of pets. The dog ate a potato – it will not do any harm, but there are many other, more useful vegetable crops that will provide the pet’s body with the necessary vitamins and minerals.

Potatoes are high in starch and carbs. Including too much potato in a dog’s diet can lead to a dog gaining weight.

Given the useful composition of potatoes, veterinarians do not categorically forbid giving it to dogs, the only question is how much and in what form. And can all dogs eat potatoes?

  • starch. It is a source of carbohydrates that are converted into energy. On the one hand, it is useful, but on the other hand, it threatens obesity and diabetes, both for people and for pets. In addition, starch is poorly absorbed by pets and clogs the stomach and intestines, which leads to constipation, flatulence and indigestion. Do not forget that dogs have a short intestine, so it gets clogged from starchy foods quickly enough;

Can Dogs eat Potato Skin?

No, do not give potato skins to your dog. Sometimes, when potato skins have green spots on them, there is a risk of solanine poisoning. This is a toxic substance that irritates the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract, causes vomiting, inflammation. In case of poisoning, the following are affected:

  • kidney, which can lead to severe nephritis, damage to the central nervous system;
  • respiratory organs (respiratory rate decreases, shortness of breath appears);
  • heart and vascular system.

Poisoning usually proceeds acutely, and the danger to the animal is not only green potatoes, but also the water in which they were cooked. Therefore, in order not to endanger the pet, you should carefully choose the tubers.

Hence, do not give potato skins to your dog. Peel the potato before making it a part of dog’s meal.

How much potatoes can be given to dogs:

A dog is a predator, and in nature, predators eat not only meat: the contents of prey also enter their body – as a rule, small herbivorous rodents and birds. Therefore, grasses, grains and plant roots are present in the diet of wild animals. In the summer, they feast on plants and berries, so nature itself provided the dog’s diet with not only protein, but also carbohydrate food.

At home, the owner takes care of a balanced diet of the dog. Commercial feed already contains all the nutrients the animal needs, vitamins and minerals. When feeding with natural food, you should ensure that they are supplied in the right amount by choosing the most useful ingredients. Since potatoes are not an important food in the diet, adding it or not to the menu is a matter of taste. However, it is important to consider the following points:

  • the dog’s body is not able to assimilate a lot of carbohydrate food, therefore, it is only necessary to occasionally add potatoes to the menu;
  • it is best to give it by mixing with meat and other vegetables;
  • for dogs of small breeds, the weekly volume of potatoes should not exceed 50 g, for medium and large breeds – 150 g;
  • potato flour can be added to feed – no more than 1-2 tablespoons per week.

Important! 

An excess of starchy and carbohydrate foods in the dog’s diet increases the risk of developing diabetes mellitus, obesity, which should be taken into account by owners of dogs prone to overweight.

In what form can you give potatoes to a dog

Dogs can be safely given boiled potatoes or mashed potatoes. No not add salt while cooking.

Do not give the dog raw potato, fried potato or chips.

Doe not give potato skins to Dogs.

Can Puppies eat potatoes?

No, Potatoes should not be given to puppies under 5 months of age, since their digestive system has not yet been fully formed. 

Can Pregnant Dogs eat Potatoes?

No, do not give potatoes to pregnant dogs. In pregnant and lactating female dogs, starch can clog the milk ducts. In elderly and sick animals, the digestive system is less active, so potatoes should also be excluded from their diet. In inactive animals, the carbohydrates that the vegetable contains are converted into fat, which can lead to obesity and related diseases.

Can dogs eat Sweet Potatoes?

Yes, it is safe to for dogs to eat sweet potatoes and are easy for dogs to digest. Sweet potatoes are better in vitamin value than the regular potatoes. Also, dogs enjoy the sweet taste of the sweet potatoes.

Can dogs eat French Fries?

Avoid giving French fries to dogs. The oil in which the chips have been fried can be harmful to the dog.

Can Dogs eat Potato Chips?

Avoid giving potato chips to dogs. The oil in which the chips have been fried can be harmful to the dog.

Can Dogs eat boiled Potatoes?

Yes, boiled potatoes are safe for dogs to eat, but in limited quantities.

Can Dogs eat Raw Potatoes?

Its better to avoid giving raw potatoes to Dogs. Raw potatoes are very high in starch and hence difficult for their stomach to digest it. Also the skin of raw potatoes can prove to be harmful to dogs.

Is it safe for dogs to eat cooked potatoes?

Yes. Cooked potatoes can be given to dogs in limited quantities. Peel the potato before feeding it to your dog.

Can dogs eat mashed potatoes?

Yes. Mashed potatoes can be given to dogs in limited quantities.

Is eating potatoes dangerous for Dogs?

Eating potatoes has no instant danger for dogs. Gove boiled or mashed potato to your dog. Avoid fried potato and potato skin. Sweet potatoes are good for the dog.

Facts about including Potatoes in a dog’s diet:

  • Its safe for dogs to eat sweet potato in cooked as well as raw form
  • Sweet potatoes are better than regular potatoes as a part of dog’s diet
  • Too much potato in a dog’s diet can result in increase in weight of the dog
  • Its safe for dogs to eat cooked potatoes
  • Its safe for dogs to eat Masked potatoes.
  • It is not recommended to give raw potatoes to dogs
  • It is not recommended to give potato skin to dogs
  • Its is not recommended to give French Fries to dogs
  • It is not recommended to give Potato chips to dogs

In Conclusion:

Based on the foregoing, we can conclude: you can give potatoes to a dog, it is not an obligatory component of the animal’s diet. If your pet receives all the necessary substances from other sources, then you should not teach him to gnaw roots. 

You can sometimes treat your dog with boiled potato. do not give potato chips and French Fries to the dog.

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